Quote:
Originally Posted by Geeoff
I've resigned myself to the fact that the Flames are gonna be giving up someone good.
Assuming Lucic waives...and somehow the Flames don't add anyone before the expansion draft:
Forwards: Gaudreau, Monahan, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Backlund, Dube, Mangiapane
Defense: Gio, Andersson, Hanifin
Just barely able to hang onto everyone under these most unlikely circumstances.
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I don’t think Backlund is an automatic protection. He will be 32 at the time of the expansion draft, and locked in at $5.35M for 3 more years. A lot can happen between now and then, but I could see a world where you expose a player who may be a 3rd line centre or a 2nd line centre on a bad team who makes $5.35M a year. These playoffs may very well play into it as well, as Backlund was an absolute disaster in last year’s playoffs.
Not meaning to crap on Backs too heavily, but it seems within the realm of possibility he could be exposed. If it comes down to Dube or Mangiapane Vs. Backlund? You expose Backlund in my opinion.
I’m not overly worried about the expansion draft. This team isn’t some powerhouse we need to be afraid about maintaining. We’re a consistently middling team, and Subtracting a 32 year old 2nd line centre is hardly going to crush the organization. Hell, it may help force them make some tough decisions that should be making anyways.